The Blue Button API allows Medicare beneficiaries to access their health data through applications and services using standards-based APIs. The API is built on FHIR and provides access to claims data for 38 million Medicare beneficiaries from the past three years. It utilizes OAuth for authorization and integrates with MyMedicare.gov. The API provides a way for patients to take ownership of their health data and connect it to tools they trust, while building on open source solutions and industry standards to position CMS as a leader in health data interoperability.

1. Blue Button® API: Creating
a Data-Driven Ecosystem
to Benefit Medicare Beneficiaries
Mark Scrimshire
March 2017
The Power of Beneficiary-Directed Data
HL7 Partners in Interoperability

2. • CMS Blue Button® Innovator
• EIR @ NewWave Telecom & Technologies
• Co-Founder & CTO: Medyear
• Chief Instigator: HealthCa.mp
• Blogger: blog.ekivemark.com
• Twitter: @ekivemark
Introduction: Mark Scrimshire
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3. Disclaimer
The views expressed in this
presentation are my own and should
not be construed as an official position
of the US Department of Health and
Human Services or The Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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4. ®
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Blue Button Vision
“Build a developer-friendly, standards-based
data API that enables beneficiaries
to connect their data to the
applications, services,
and research programs
they trust”

5. 11
• A familiar and proven
authorization process
• Used billions of
times each day
Patients Take Ownership of Their Data
Authorize

6. 12
• FHIR extension to Chronic Condition
Warehouse (CCW)
• 38M Medicare beneficiaries
• Three years of Blue Button claims information
(6+ billion records)
• Jointly-developed FHIR
“ExplanationOfBenefit” resource
• Integration with MyMedicare.gov
• Future integration with CMS Simple
Login Service
• Built on CMS Cloud Services
Lighting the FHIR at CMS

7. FHIR API
Access Rules
FHIR Resource
Definitions
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BuildYourOwnBlueButtonon FHIRGateway
EMR
Any EMR
FHIR API Module
Patient
Access
Blue Button OAuth
Server
Developer
Access
Portal/Customer
Authentication
PHR
PMI…
Community
of Trust</> {API}
OpenSource:
TransparentHealth.org
hhs_oauth_server
python-poetri

8. 15
• Building on industry and web standards
• Providing a blueprint for patient access to their data
• Designing solutions with the health care community
• Utilizing open source solutions
• Using FHIR positions CMS at the heart of
health interoperability
CMS Blue Button API: The Summary

9. 16
• Mark Scrimshire
– Blue Button Innovator
– Mark.Scrimshire@cms.hhs.gov
• Karl Davis
– Associate Entrepreneur-in-Residence
– Karl.Davis@cms.hhs.gov
• Lori Pettebone-Koraganie
– Program Manager, Blue Button API
– Lori.Maatta@cms.hhs.gov
• Carly Medosch
– Outreach, Blue Button API
– Carly.Medosch@cms.hhs.gov
Contact Info
Learn more about Blue Button API using FHIR
http://go.cms.gov/bluebutton